Here are my very serious thoughts on the points raised:
1. No country music for my daughter too....
2. Though that was said in jest, it brings up a good point that has already been mentioned, namely, it's important that everyone enjoys it. As a parent, our moods are very influential (and thus important) for our children, so it's very important we feel good in what we're doing.
3. Hypereducating / hothousing - We agree that many parents do sometimes get overzealous and go overboard, and this is a good time to remind ourselves not to do so. Remember the cardinal rule - keep it fun! Specifically on this topic of music choice - yes, do not overdo it and 'create a ruckus'. Everything should be in moderation. Silence is also important!
4. The "we were never taught X at that age, but we turned out fine" argument - What I'm about to say is not directed at Aiysha in particular, but something I'd like to comment about in general as I've heard this line of argument mentioned several times by people who are against early learning. This argument just doesn't compute for me insofar as it is supposed to be a reason for not doing something (whether it is exposing our children to a variety of music, or to the entire concept of early learning).
For me, just because something wasn't done in a previous generation should never IN ITSELF be a reason for us not to do something. If that were the case, I believe there would be very limited progress through the generations.
Of course we turn out just 'fine'. We all do. Every single generation turns out 'fine'. Yet look at how much has changed through the generations, and how much progress has been made by society. And that's because we have embraced new (and often better) ways of doing things. Many old school teachers would say that each generation seems to be getting brighter and brighter, and I'm not surprised if this were really true.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all new things and all changes are beneficial, but only saying that just because something was not done during an earlier generation (like when WE were kids) is not in itself a good reason not to do that thing, and we should mentally open ourselves to things that are 'not the norm' if we are to have progress.
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